The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-21

4 eteeF6go passengers
| probably had miscellaneous cargo of dry
| goods, gin. herring Rhein wines. etc.
ON THE WRECK AND IN THE WATER
The Story ofthe Disaster Graphically Told by
Some of the Survivors.
LONDON Nov. 20-One OF those saved from
| the Scholten is Mont Colio from the Tyrol. He
| states that the scenes the sinking ship wero
/ terrible The steerage passengers, stricken
with terror, about the deck in wild confu-
sion. The captain tried his utmost to restore
| der. but without effect. The passengers rushed
fer the boats. and it was with the greatest diff
Guilty that the officers could keep them from
| jumping into and sinking them. Colo was in
| the water two hours When taken out he was
greatly exhausted owing to the extreme cold
aud his efforts to keep afoat After the vessel
sunk the cries of persons the water could be
heard for a long time in all directions.
George Moore, n passenger. states that when
the crash occurred general rush was made for
the deck. 81 was told that nothing serious had
occurred" he said. 'but l secured life belt.
There were six En- elish passengers on board the
vessel and one OF these, girl, asked to keep
| in a group, that the English might 60 down
| together. was in the water a long time before
being plckedup When the SchoIten sank the
cries were hsartrending. The captain of the
Ebro the rescuing vessel behaved nobly. He
had all his deck load of timber thrown overheard,
and this judicious act saved many lives. Only
two of the Scholten's boats were lowered; the
others could not be got adrift. I do not know
whether this was due to any fault on board
The vessel listed over much that all the boats
could not he dropped into the water. The
psople rushed about in the greatest state Of ex-
citement. all trying to get place in the two
boats which had been successfully lowered. The
scare and disorder prevented many persons be-
ing saved. The water free1u ug cold. This
fastened the death of many, renuaring them
Charles Mills of Red Hill Surrey, says the
life-boats appeared as If they had not been used
for a long time. They had TO be chopped away
called out to those on the bridge to fire rockets,
but it was long time before they did. The
greatest confusion prevailed. The ship
right over her port side before they fired the
rockets. L waited until the water touched the
boilers, putting out the fires. Their l got hold
of belt, but Dutch sailor snatched it away.
We were all mixed together, foreigners and
English clingng to one another in the water. l
several drowned in this way. and had
the greatest difficulty TO keep clear of
them. gave spar TO q woman to hold to.
The Dutch sailors wanted to save themselves,
and even thrust women aside can swim we'll,
and l swan about until 1 got to the Ebro,
where a rope was thrown to me-. After the coll
lision went down into the cabin and awoke
two Dutch ladies. but they were paralyzed with
les. l heard other complaints about the conduct
of tne Dutch sailors. The confusion ex-
treme. Everybody seemed terrorstricken. This
may account for the apparent want of discipline
The frantic passengers unnerved some of the
crew. preventing them from acting as bravely
they might have done. The captain did his
best to restore order. I believe good lookout
was kept. and we had our lights up"
Mr.. Appleby. one Of the passengers saved,
SAID: 81 was in nv berth. as also were many
others, when the crash came. Immediately
rushed deck. followed by confused crowd.
Upon first reachiuc the deck did not think any
thing much was the matter until saw that the
port bow was stove in close to the rigging and
laid open for great space. The Passengers
soon crowded the deck. and the captain and
officers shouted that all the boats be lowered.
The vessel was then settling down by the head,
and the excitement was at its worst. had hard
ly time to look around me before the vessel list
ed Cd over ~ on her port side SIDE throwing throwing
on that side of the vessel Most Of
the boats were then worthless. Two boats on
the port side were then swung out and lowered,
but the other six were useless. While the sail
ors were endeavoring to lower tho boats the
passengers hindered them by rushin e frantically
against them The crew tried to keep the pass
engers back. thus losing valuable time. When
the boats were finally lowered there rush
to get into them. tried. too. but did not stand
chance. Then ] decided to trust to a life belt.
The scene on the deck was appalling. The
passengers and crew were crowded together
and the shrieks of tho women, the cries of the
children and the shouts OF the men were fright
| fu Some of the passengers were on their
| knees praving. When the Scholren sank be-
| meath our feet there was a struggle IN the icy
water. Most of us had life-belts. Sarah Gold.
| Stepney, Robson and kept together We clung
to each other and drifted toward the Ebro,
| finally reaching that vessel
The second officer declares that everv precau-
| tion had been taken board the Scholten. A
| good lookout wac kept, and Capt Taal not only
had the ordinary watch on the bridge at the
time of tho disaster but all the oficers intended
| to remain there till the vessel was fairly down
the channel The CAPTAIN was last seen at his
post. trying to quiet the passen gers and get the
| boats off.
The Rosa Mary sustained extensive damage
and was only kept aficat by her water-tieht
bulkheads. An officer of the Scholten states
that the Rosa Mary was carrying no side lights,
but was showing the usual masthead lights to
indicate that she lying at anchor. They
steered down the channel. leaving her sufficient
room pass clear. When they drew near
they found that she was steaming ahead
aud making right onto them. They tried to
signal her off, but it too late. She struck
the Schoten on the port bow, ripping of plates
some distance and exposing the interior. The
| hole thus made extended below the water line.
! The officers of the Rosa Mary aver that they
were lying at anchor and were run into. They
say that they did not weigh anchor until morn
inc. II is reported that the captain or the
Rosa Mary denies the statement that his vessel
| was collision with the w. A. Scholten He
AYERS that the Rosa Mary was injured by a col
lision with another vessel while lying at anchor.
DR.. Ayme. of New York the Scholten's sur
geon, ia of opinion that the Rosa Mary had
Just weighed anchor, and that the crew had for
gotten TO put the side lights. He SAYS that
many of those saved by the Ebro were paralyze
with cold, and we're with difficulty resuscitated.
! When be last Captain Taal the latter was
standing on the bridge trying TO prevent the
steerage passengers from besieging the boats.
| The break In the ships side was art OF the
buikhead, and was eight feet wide. The un-
serviceable boats which we're cut away possibly
| hoated when he steamer sank
Capt Taai of the w. A. Scholten had only re-
| Gently been appointed to the command of that